Animal Shelter needs help

The future for some of Stockton's four-legged "residents" ultimately will be determined by its two-legged residents.

The future for some of Stockton's four-legged "residents" ultimately will be determined by its two-legged residents.

Such is the situation at the troubled Stockton Animal Shelter.

There are many good people attacking problems from different directions, all with good intentions and claiming to put the love of animals and the desire to see shortcomings rectified as their main goal.

But, as often happens when viewpoints differ, there's the potential for a tug-of-war. And that's not going to help Stockton's dogs and cats.

The south Stockton shelter was hit with a lawsuit last month by an animal rights organization and private citizens, which claimed rampant violations.

The shelter's interim director - with 30 distinguished years with the Stockton Police Department before her retirement - claims significant progress is being made despite "massive challenges."

Meanwhile, the well-heeled San Francisco branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has adopted the shelter. Mayor Anthony Silva also has appointed a committee that is working on changing the shelter's procedures, image and, ultimately, the high percentage of animals which end up being euthanized.

"This is a work in progress for sure," said Tammie Murrell, interim director. "We're going to keep going. We know we still have work to do."

We encourage all stakeholders and groups to get together, hash out differences and work for the benefit of Stockton's animals.

Those dogs and cats aren't going to be helped by thousands of dollars going to attorneys to hash out a lawsuit.

There also seems to be a chasm between the progress the San Francisco SPCA cites in its reports and the beliefs of the mayor's committee on whether that progress is real or fictional. One committee member stated at the mayor's town hall meeting on Monday that the 70 percent survival figure cited by the shelter doesn't mesh with reality.

SPCA officials stand by the numbers. They state that the shelter has gone from a 75 percent euthanization rate to 70 percent of animals leaving the shelter alive since 2007.

"We all want the same outcome. We want to save animals; we eventually want to have a no-kill shelter," said Jason Walthall, co-president of the San Francisco SPCA. "Letting a bunch of lawyers loose on the problem is not a solution."

It's clear that virtually everyone involved cares deeply about the animals and wants the situation at the shelter to improve. It's important to listen to all voices and consider all options.

But if it all turns into, well, a dog and cat fight, workable and lasting solutions are going to be difficult to implement.

It's also important to look at Stockton's human element and the impact unemployment and crime ultimately have on the plight of the city's animals.

Community commitment and engagement - and volunteerism - are the keys.

In short, it's time for those who care about the Animal Shelter and its inhabitants to not only work on the problems but also solve them.